Zoids: Decade of Darkness
by Elasel Nevar
Summary: An original story set in the Zoids: Chaotic Century universe. A young girl who dreams of piloting Zoids finally manages to catch a lucky break, finding a lead that could help her start her career as a Zoid pilot. But right around the corner, dark things are afoot, and the peace that has persisted between the Helic Republic and the Guylos Empire hangs in the balance. OC-heavy
1. First Taste

Author's Note:

This story is set in the Zoids Chaotic Century and Guardian Force verse. However, I also took some inspiration from the Zoids Battle Story. In the Battle Story, there were three nations rather than two: the Helic Republic, the Guylos Empire, and finally the Zenebas Empire. In Chaotic Century, there existed only the first two, but the Guylos Empire there apparently acted more like the Zenebas Empire from the Battle Story. I have no idea why they made that decision, but I'm sticking to what the anime did. Well, I've talked enough. Please enjoy and tell me what you liked and what you hated.

/

Sasha Ivanova idly clicked on her pen, waiting as the teacher called the roll. It was another dull day in Guygalos, capital city of the Guylos Empire. Well, she supposed, tucking back a few stray strands of her short black hair, it wasn't as boring as home, at least. Despite the growing prosperity of both the Empire and the Republic, the Wind Colony remained small and unimportant.

It had been twenty years since the last war between the Republic and the Empire had ended- all in all, eighteen years of peace. At least in both Guygalos and New Helic City, they had Zoid Battles, and while her Ma and Pa didn't appreciate her interest in the sport, saying it was unladylike, there was little they could do to stop her when they were back home and she was all the way here.

She found herself gazing at the stadium in the distance, which was naturally empty at the time of day. The Emperor had a ban on Zoid Battles during class hours, meaning they only started in the late afternoon. She hated how the Emperor interfered with her favorite pastime. All she wanted to do was get her own Zoid and start mopping the floor with other pilots.

"Ivanova?" the teacher called out, fixing an annoyed look at her.

"Present!" she answered quickly, wondering what had the teacher's undies in a twist.

"Young lady, I don't care how good some of your grades are," the teacher said, sounding quite miffed. "Pay attention next time so I don't need to call your name more than once."

"I'm sorry, Sir," she quickly produced a rehearsed apology. "I was just thinking about my parents." Not exactly true, but she'd get in trouble if she said she was imagining Zoids doing combat in the arena.

"The baby's homesick!" a girl taunted from the back of the class, eliciting laughter from the bored students.

"Now, now, Jenny," the teacher told her off, but Ivanova knew he was letting her off easy as payback. "Don't tease your classmate."

The accusation was so wrong she had to stop herself from laughing out loud. Instead, Ivanova ignored them both and went back to staring at the stadium. That was when she saw it: a massive Whale King crossing over Imperial air space, flanked by a group of Redlers and Zabats. Strange. She wondered where the Imperial Army was sending such a force.

Well, it wasn't something a girl of seventeen years had to worry about. She was strictly only going to pilot for entertainment and prize money once she got her own Zoid.

Her classes passed quickly enough. As much as Ivanova would have preferred to think about Zoid Battles all morning, she knew that if she zoned out now she'd have to make up for it by reading a lot later, which meant she wouldn't be able to watch the Grand Final of the current season. So listen she did. Math, Language, and Science were easy enough for her to follow, and then there was Economics. She hated Economics. It reminded her of how she'd be taking over the family business one day, which didn't mesh well with her dreams of being a Zoid pilot at all.

It was fortunate that lunch came right after, or she wasn't sure she could have kept herself attentive, even if her favorite subject was next. Lunch at the cafeteria happened to be fried chicken and some bread, which she found agreeable enough. Cafeteria food was never going to taste amazing, but at least this was decent. She wondered whether she was eating alone today or with one of her friends.

"Hey, Sasha," she heard him before she saw him, since he'd come in from behind.

"Scooter," she said his name in greeting.

"You look good today," he said, staring intently at her face. She wished she could say the same, but since Scooter never bothered to take care of his appearance, she'd be lying.

"Thanks," she answered. This short exchange was rather routine whenever Scooter sought her out.

"You're uh, eating light," he said, which made her inspect his own plate which had three drumsticks, two rolls of bread, some soda, and a chocolate sundae.

Rather than telling her overweight friend he just ate too much, she simply said "Well, I am saving for a Rev Raptor."

"Are you still going through with that?" Scooter asked, quirking an eyebrow before biting off some of the meat from his chicken. "I thought you and your mom had an argument about it a few weeks ago."

Ivanova didn't appreciate the reminder. "You were eavesdropping on us, Scooter?"

"Dude, you two were yelling so loud the whole building heard," he said.

"We were on the third floor."

"Yeah, and me and my dad heard it all the way from the front desk," Scooter grinned.

"The door was closed," Ivanova continued to protest.

"Still heard it," Scooter laughed, and Ivanova had to cover her face to hide her embarrassment.

"Why do I live in your building again?" she asked without looking at him.

"Because our dads are tight," he reminded her. "And because we only charge you half the usual rent."

"You should be paying me for letting a mouse get in my bathroom," Ivanova deadpanned.

"You should be paying me for letting you use the garage for all your Zoids stuff and keeping it a secret from your mom."

"GG," she conceded. "Thanks for that again, by the way."

"It's cool," Scooter scratched the back of his head. "It's not like the Gustav takes that much space."

"I wonder if Pops would let me borrow that thing and use it for Zoid Battles," she mused.

"Oh no, you are not risking that thing in a Battle," Scooter said hurriedly. "Especially when you've never been in one before."

"I've been in a Gustav before," she whined.

"I meant a Battle."

"Oh," she blinked. "Right. Relax, though, the Gustav doesn't have any weapons built in."

"Somehow I don't think that's going to stop you from trying," Scooter facepalmed.

"You're right," Ivanova laughed. "I'd probably attach a Charged Particle Cannon on it after winning some money."

"Sasha!"

"Fine, fine," she raised her hands as if to defend herself. "Maybe a booster unit."

"Sasha!"

"What? Do you have any idea how much horsepower a Gustav packs? I'd crush a Geno Saurer into a wall with a booster unit."

Scooter replied with a sigh.

They parted ways after they finished eating, since Scooter belonged to another section entirely. Class resumed at 1 PM, with the teacher calling the roll again to make sure no students had gone missing during the 1-hour break. This time Ivanova answered the first time he called. There wasn't much point in being immature about it since she had another year to go in this academy.

The final class of the day was Zoids Theory. Two hours would be dedicated on educating them on the history and internal workings of a Zoid. Unfortunately, Ivanova already knew everything they discussed. Studying Zoids was her element, and she was probably a few years' worth of self-studying ahead when it came to the subject. She reclined fully in her seat, expecting everything would be the same as always. She couldn't have been more wrong.

As the window and thus the arena naturally drew her gaze, she found something in the schoolyard which was just plain bizarre. Something black stood on the grounds. An unmistakable pair of crusher horns as well as seventeen-shot Megalo Max assault cannons lit a fire inside Ivanova. It was a Zoid that resembled a bison, easily five times larger than a man. A Dibison! What was it doing here? More importantly, how was she going to give the teacher the slip so she could check it out?

"Settle down, class," the teacher said after he'd finished taking attendance. The din softened but did not go away. Stopping students from gossiping was like stopping Zoid pilots from piloting, after all.

"Today we'll be having class outside," the teacher said, unknowingly fanning the flames of Ivanova's excitement.

"But why? It's so hot outside!" a protest came from the back of the class.

_Shut up, shut up, shut up! _Ivanova screamed in her head.

"We have a very special guest lecturer today who can teach you much more about Zoids than I can," the teacher reasoned out, only to be met with even more protests.

_Duh, even I know more about Zoids than you do,_ Ivanova thought. _Come on, let's go already!_

"What was that, Ivanova?" the teacher asked, and Ivanova panicked as she realized she must have said that out loud. He didn't look cross, however. Maybe he'd misheard?

"I said let's go already," she grinned nervously. "I'm excited to meet this special guest."

"Figures you'd want to go because it's about Zoids, you wrench wench," the same girl from earlier said out loud.

"The girl who makes out with half of the class doesn't get to call anyone else a wench of any kind," Ivanova said flatly as the girl spluttered with rage.

"Now, now, I said settle down," the teacher repeated, apparently on Ivanova's side this time. _Remind me never to trust you with my life, teach._

"Maybe it would help if you told us who the guest is?" Ivanova asked, mostly to sate her own curiosity.

"Well, I was going to keep it as a surprise," the teacher sighed, but understood her suggestion. "Our guest today is General Schubaltz."

"Oh, dude, I heard he pinned the Death Saurer down with an Iron Kong!" someone said.

"No way, the Death Saurer was just a myth," someone else shouted.

_I thought General Schubaltz piloted an Iron Kong, too,_ Ivanova thought.

"Well, I'm going," Ivanova said, standing up and moving for the door. The teacher gave her an annoyed look for a few seconds, but ultimately gestured for her to go. She didn't need to be told again.

"And remember to exit in single file!" the teacher yelled before she could get out of the door.

Naturally, the hallway floor was buried beneath a mass of bodies slowly making its way to the exit. She wagered some, like herself, wanted to get a better look at the Dibison while most were just trying to sneak out in the chaos now that attendance had been taken for the afternoon session. She hesitated for a moment before shrugging and diving into the crowd. If she waited any longer she'd never get a good look at the Zoid. So Ivanova found herself pushed, pulled, and one time even groped (to which she responded by slamming her elbow into the offender) as she slowly moved towards the double doors leading out. What was normally a half-minute walk took her nearly five minutes, but it was worth it in the end when she saw the other students forming a circle around the Dibison.

A man with dirty blond, almost brown hair stood in the center of the circle, alongside the Dibison. Ivanova looked at the thickening circle of students with distaste and made her way to a stone bench to the side which she quickly climbed and stood on. The man she presumed to be General Schubaltz looked quite smug as he surveyed the gathering crowd. Strange. She thought he'd be taller and less... goofy.

"Good afternoon, students of Guygalos Academy!" his voice erupted from the Dibison as he talked into his headset. "My name is Thomas Schubaltz, Brigadier General of the Imperial Army."

_Ah. He was the other Schubaltz,_ Ivanova thought. Leave it to her teacher not to know the difference between Brigadier General and General. While disappointed, she guessed he was still better than her teacher, at least.

"You're late, Scooter," she said, seeing the boy appear next to her.

"Not everyone is a Zoids fanatic like you," he said jokingly. "Although the guys who are really pushed. A lot."

"So push back," she told him. Scooter really needed to grow a spine one of these days.

"Nope. Never lending you that Gustav."

"I'm sure I can convince Pops to let me have it for a battle or two," she grinned.

"This is BEEK," Thomas Schubaltz' voice cut into their conversation as he gestured towards his Dibison. "He's a man-made organoid I created."

"Cool! You built it all by yourself?" a boy in the crowd asked.

"He's not talking about the Dibison," someone behind Scooter said, sounding frustrated.

"Oh, hey, Sunny," Scooter greeted the newcomer. Ivanova turned her head and gave a slight nod to acknowledge her other long-time friend. Sunny, who normally towered over her when they stood on level ground despite being three years younger, nodded back.

"BEEK is the prototype Organoid System, if I remember right," Sunny continued.

"Not exactly," Ivanova corrected him. "BEEK is an on-board AI that assists in battle, but it was made from scratch. The Organoid System is only found on Zoids developed from the DNA of the Death Saurer. Not that many as you can imagine, now that the Death Saurer is gone."

"Oh, so the computers they install on Zoids these days aren't Organoid Systems?" Sunny asked, ruffling his spiky brown hair.

"No, but those are based on BEEK, I thi-" she began, but was cut off.

"Ivanova!" her teacher waved to her from next to Thomas Schubaltz, then beckoned her forward. She contemplated pretending not to notice him, but realized it was too late for that.

"I guess I'll see you guys in a bit," she groaned, climbing down from the bench.

"See ya," Sunny said.

"Think you're in trouble?" Scooter grinned at her.

"Who knows? That teacher changes his mind more than I change clothes," she said as she made her way through the crowd.

"Ah, General," the teacher spoke as she neared. "Allow me to introduce our brightest Zoids student. This is Sasha Ivanova."

"That's Brigadier General, Sir," Thomas corrected the teacher before giving Ivanova a crisp salute. "The General is my older brother, Karl."

"A pleasure to meet you," Ivanova dipped her head slightly, ignoring the praise from her teacher. It was about time someone corrected the idiot. "Is there a reason you wanted me to come forward, teach?"

"I thought you might want to ask him some questions," the teacher said, looking just a tad nervous. Ivanova wondered if he thought she was going to embarrass him.

"Well, I was curious about a few things," she admitted, blurting out the first question in her head. "How is BEEK different from other on-board AI?"

Thomas laughed, and Ivanova wondered how many times she was going to be annoyed by something today. "BEEK is the most sophisticated AI in the Empire. No wait, on Zi! The run-of-the-mill AI that have come out in the past five years can't compete."

"What exactly does it do?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"BEEK is able to analyze combat situations and give the most efficient moves to make in battle," the military man answered with pride. "He also provides targeting solutions which make sure all seventeen shots from the Megalo Max hit their targets. Most importantly, however, BEEK is the most advanced voice-controlled combat AI on Zi."

"So you can pilot that Dibison without really piloting it? That's pretty cool, actually," Ivanova asked, making sure she at least tried to deflate the military man's ego. "I'm working on an AI assistant myself, but I haven't had the chance to test her out."

"Of course I still pilot it. BEEK is my creation, after all," Thomas said defensively. "Why haven't you tested your AI out?"

"I don't have a Zoid yet," she answered sheepishly.

"Oh, yeah, that is a problem," Thomas nodded, seemingly unsure of what to say. "And it's not like you can just join the Army like I did and get a Zoid out of it, now that we're at peace and His Majesty's started pulling our funding. Er, forget I said that last part."

Then she heard the sound of a Zoid approaching. Thomas grinned and said "However, this might just be your lucky day."

Ivanova, puzzled by this, leaned to the side to see past the massive Dibison. A red Zoid on two legs walked over to stand beside the Dibison, its steel claws gleaming in the sunlight. Ivanova would know her favorite Zoid anywhere, of course. The Rev Raptor, most common infantry Zoid of the Guylos Empire, knelt down and opened its cockpit, revealing it was empty.

It was too good to be true. She scanned the crowd for the face of her teacher, whose name she could never remember and saw him give her a thumb's up. So this was why he'd asked her to come forward. She grinned at him, unable to contain her excitement. Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy, after all.

"So you and I are going to battle?" Ivanova asked, feeling equal parts joy and nervousness. This was her first time in a Zoid, after all, and Thomas was still a big shot in the military.

"That's right," Thomas smiled at her reassuringly. She watched as security began herding the students away from the two Zoids. "No weapons, though. Close combat only."

"I- tha't's fine," Ivanova said. She may have been a weapons fanatic, but she knew the Rev Raptor was ill-suited to ranged combat. She didn't exactly want to shoot someone by accident, either. "Do we start now?"

"That's right, miss. BEEK, let me in," he spoke into his headset as the Dibison knelt to let him in. Then he covered the headset and quietly added, "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you."

"Thanks!" she answered, holding no illusions that she could actually take a Dibison on with a basic Rev Raptor. She looked back towards the bench for a second and caught Scooter giver her a thumbs up while Sunny grinned approvingly. Taking a deep breath, Ivanova entered the cockpit.

While it was her first time actually doing it, she knew where the power was and switched the Rev Raptor on. Her heart seemed to beat in rhythm with it as the machine roared to life. The cockpit sealed itself as the Raptor rose and the combat system initialized. In front of her the Dibison had gotten up and taken a few steps away from her. Thomas' face appeared on her monitor.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"I guess," she answered, finding the levers that handled the Raptor's arms and the pedals that handled its legs.

"Alright, here I come!" he warned her as his image vanished from the screen and the Dibison began to surge forward. Ivanova inhaled deeply. So this is what it was going to be like.

"Let's go, Raptor!" she yelled as she devoted her attention to the controls, having no muscle memory to rely on.

The Rev Raptor nimbly leapt to the side as the giant black Zoid came crashing through its starting position. Ivanova moved the arms to slash at the Dibison's left flank, where the crusher horns couldn't reach. It was going well until the Dibison pivoted on one foot and tackled the Raptor with the edge of its shoulder. The difference in size gave it quite the advantage as the Rev Raptor staggered backwards.

Caught off guard, the girl found herself rattled, but steeled herself for more. The Raptor leapt into the air, landing on the Dibison's back. All four claws clamped down on the array of cannons mounted on the Zoid. If her opponent had been a liger or something, she would have had a clear shot at the head, but the massive lump of weaponry protected it.

The bison Zoid began to buck, attempting to throw her off. It must have been quite a sight, she guessed, although she was much happier seeing it from the Raptor's cockpit than as a spectator. There was a tearing sound as two of the Megalo Max cannons were ripped off, leaving the Raptor unbalanced and eventually hurled off of the Dibison. She braced herself as the Zoid fell to the ground on its side, glad she'd remembered to tuck in her seat belt.

Unfortunately, the Raptor didn't fare so well as the words "Command System Frozen" appeared on the screen. _Oh well,_ she thought. _It was fun while it lasted._ While she knew the cockpit still functioned perfectly during a system freeze, she also wanted to hold on to the feeling a little while longer, so she remained seated until Thomas asked BEEK to open the cockpit. Thomas stood over her, offering her a helping hand. She relented and let him help her up. Before they could say anything, cheers and applause erupted from the student body. She couldn't help but grin. She'd only dreamed of this before today. She smiled and waved at the crowd awkwardly, not used to being the center of attention.

"You're sure that was your first time in a Zoid?" he asked accusingly when the cheering quieted down. "You did pretty well considering who you were up against."

"More like considering she was up against a Dibison with just a Rev Raptor," Sunny's voice came from behind the younger Schubaltz. "Scooter and I here can vouch she was a virgin before you came along."

"Sundance!" she yelled, knowing he hated his full name.

"You did great, Sasha," Scooter said, trying to diffuse the situation. "You too, Brigadier General."

"Yeah, I know I said I was going to hold back," Thomas scratched his head. "But you didn't seem to need the handicap. I can't believe you tore out my guns. Most soldiers can't do that much with a Rev Raptor."

"That was just because you limited yourself to close combat, though," Sasha deflected the praise. Her pride wasn't so fragile that she just blindly took compliments, after all. "If you'd had access to the Megalo Max with BEEK's assistance, I wouldn't have been able to get close."

"Maybe," the military man smiled, not really agreeing or disagreeing. "We'll find out someday, I guess."

"Do you take part in Zoids Battles, too, Brigadier General?" she asked.

"Please, it's Thomas," he answered. "And I'm usually too busy to be part of the regular season, but I do get asked to invitation-only events from time to time."

"So we will fight again someday," Ivanova smiled, looking forward to it.

"As soon as you get a Zoid and win a few matches, yeah," Thomas said encouragingly.

"You mean I don't get to keep the Rev Raptor?" Ivanova asked with fake surprise. "But we've bonded!"

"Sorry, Ivanova," Thomas laughed, not unkindly. "That thing is still military property."

"Yeah, yeah," Ivanova said, genuinely disappointed. She was sort of hoping she could keep it anyway. "So the only way I can get into Zoid Battles is really by buying or building a Zoid myself, and I'm pretty clueless about the latter."

"You could try asking the Zoids Research Facility to make a Zoid for you," Thomas suggested.

"Hm? Research Facility?" Ivanova asked, surprised she'd never heard of it.

"Yeah, the Army's Research Facility is open to the public now," Thomas explained. "You need to bring your own Zoid Core and they do charge a small fee, but it's way cheaper than buying a complete Zoid off the shelf."

"I'd need a Zoid to get a Core in the first place, though," Ivanova's hope deflated instantly.

"Well, I never said it'd be easy," Thomas shrugged, and then extended his hand. "I should be going soon. Need to take both of these back for repairs. Maybe I'll have someone pick the Raptor up later."

"Alright, it's been a pleasure, Brigadier General Thomas," she took his hand and shook it. "I'll win next time."

"I'll have guns next time," was his only response before he got back into the Dibison and lumbered away.

The crowd thinned out after that, but she, Sunny, and Scooter remained as Ivanova stared at the fallen Rev Raptor. There wasn't any exterior damage, but that just proved that looks could be deceiving. She thought about whether or not it would be viable to have someone track a Zoid Core down for her and then have it used to develop a Zoid for her. Currently her funds held seven thousand Gallos and the the cheapest Rev Raptor she found went for twenty thousand, and that was just a basic Zoid with no additional equipment.

It would take another year of saving her allowance to afford that. She figured she should probably at least ask how much the Facility's fee was for building a Rev Raptor first before deciding.

"You wanna grab a bite on the way, Sasha?" Scooter asked.

"Nah, I need to go somewhere," she answered. "If you get back before I do tell Pops I'm at the Zoid Research Facility."

"What are you doing there?" Scooter laughed. "Pretty sure they only take graduates as interns."

"Just gonna canvass how much they'd charge to get me a Rev Raptor," she answered, feeling optimistic after the battle.

"I thought Thomas said you needed a core for that," Scooter said.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get there," Ivanova shrugged. There wasn't any sense in worrying about it until she knew how much it would cost.

"Sounds like fun," Sunny grinned at them both. "Lots of Rev Raptor sleepers outside the capital."

"You're both crazy," Scooter said, shaking his head. "You'd need a Zoid to take them out in the first place."

"Didn't you know? Sundance has been a pilot since last week," Ivanova commented, prompting Scooter to look to Sunny for confirmation.

"Please don't call me that. And it's true," the taller boy smiled. "My dad gave me a Zoid for my birthday."

"Cool," Scooter said, looking envious.

"Hell yeah," the Zoid pilot looked pleased with himself. "My Hammerock's gonna clean up once the next season starts. Say, Ivanova, it's not like you to miss the Finals."

Realization dawned on her features. "Oh, man. You're right! I need to get to the Facility and back, fast. See you guys later. Save me a seat!"

And with that, she dashed off, wondering if her Zoid pilot career was going to start sooner than she'd expected.

/

Author's Notes:

A bit long for my usual chapters, but I wanted to squeeze in a Zoid fight in there since that's how the anime always did it. So how was it? What did you like? What did you hate?

Notes on the Zoids featured in this Chapter:

The Dibison was mainly featured because I wanted to use Thomas Schubaltz. He's a memorable enough character who wasn't that great of a Zoid pilot (I don't think Thomas ever won against any other main character). He fit the criteria for showing Ivanova was good, but not a prodigy like Van or Raven.

The Rev Raptor was in this chapter mainly because I like it. In-universe, it is, as mentioned above, a very common infantry unit, which meant Thomas could probably just take one whenever he needed it. It's also significantly better than the other common Imperial infantry unit, the Molga. If Thomas had brought that to fight his Dibison, it would've reflected badly on his character.


	2. Glimpse

It was only when Sasha was at the Town Square when she realized that she wasn't sure where the Research Facility was. She breathed in the warm summer air as she got her bearings. She knew that the commercial Zoid shops were to the west, down Zeppelin Street, but she couldn't remember seeing anything remotely like a research facility there, which left the east road.

It was three in the afternoon and the Grand Finals were going to start in an hour, so she needed to hurry. Spotting a member of the Military Police, she decided to ask for directions.

"Excuse me, Sir," she said, trying to sound polite as she stood in front of him. "Could you tell me where the Zoids Research Facility is?"

"What does a young miss like you want with that place?" he asked. "Nothing there but some nerds in lab coats."

"My friend Thomas Schubaltz asked me to go there," she lied, noting the unwelcome gaze he was directing at her school uniform. Why school skirts were so short, she'd never know.

"The nerd in a military uniform asked you to go to a place with nerds in lab coats? It's a nerd orgy," the man laughed at his own joke. Ivanova didn't. "Why don't you come with me instead? I'm almost off duty."

She took a quick glance at his name tag. "Look, Officer Krieg, I'm bringing important data on Brigadier General Thomas' Dibison with me," she bluffed, trying to sound threatening and tapping her backpack. "Either you point me to the Research Facility or I'll find another officer who can and then report you for obstructing military business."

His eyes widened like saucers at the threat. The fool apparently bought it because his tone changed pretty quickly. "Ah, of course. The Facility's on the first street on the left."

"Thank you, officer," she grinned and left before he could say anything else.

The Zoids Research Facility, it turned out, was a gated building which, as to be expected given its nature as a military facility, was under heavy guard. The whole building was colored gray and stood taller than most Zoids Ivanova had seen. Ironically, the place where Zoids were built looked like a massive tombstone. A soldier asked for her to log in and present a valid ID before issuing her a visitor's pass. The small card made it clear that she was only allowed access to the ground level and not the basement levels. That was fair enough, she supposed. It was surprising this place was available to the public in the first place. She pushed through a pair of double doors and stepped into a Zoid fanatic's fantasy land.

Dozens of Zoids of varying models, colors, and sizes were lined up in neat rows. While the two nations were more open to each other now, the girl was still surpised to find just as many Republican Zoids as Imperial ones. A kind-looking receptionist caught her awed expression and decided to approach her.

"Good afternoon, Miss," the female receptionist greeted. "Is this your first time in the Zoids Institute?"

"Good afternoon," Ivanova greeted back. "I thought this was the Research Facility?"

"It is," the receptionist laughed. "We've just taken to calling it the Institute since the old name is such a mouthful."

"I see," Ivanova blinked. "I was wondering if you could tell me how much it would cost to build a Rev Raptor. I can get the core myself."

"Ah, Professor D can help you with that," she said, then beckoned for Ivanova to follow. Wasn't Professor D the famous scientist who developed the Ultrasaurus? Ivanova couldn't believe her luck. Of course, she also couldn't help but gawk at the number of Zoids on standby.

"Who owns these Zoids?" she asked, noting many familiar models alongside some she'd never seen before.

"Pilots belonging to the private sector," the receptionist answered, not unkindly. "The backlog makes building them take a few hours so customers usually place the orders in the morning and then come back for them in the afternoon."

"You get this many orders in one day?" Ivanova asked, surprised.

"Now that Zoids are more commercial than military, the demand for them has risen," the receptionist explained. "And so have prices. Opening the Institute to the public was Emperor Rudolph's way of giving people with less means a chance to obtain Zoids."

"Lucky for me, huh?" Ivanova asked aloud. Still, it really was amazing to see where peace had taken the Republic and the Empire. Nowadays, the only fights between the two were legal, mostly safe matches in the arena. They eventually arrived at the other end of the building where a brown-haired man wearing a lab coat fussed over a bunch of controls. His attention was way from the two women, instead focused on a steel-colored, circular object that was inside a giant, glass tank. Ivanova had seen pictures of one before, of course, and knew what the sphere was. It was a Zoid Core- the physical heart and mind of a Zoid. All around the Core were various lumps of scrap metal. She shuddered for a moment as she considered they might be failed cores. Perhaps the building looking like a tombstone wasn't so ironic after all.

"Hang on, let's let him finish," the receptionist warned her, not that she needed to be told. She was curious about what was happening, too.

The scientist took a deep breath before pulling a large lever on his control panel. The effect was instantaneous. A bolt of electricity struck the core, which began to glow a warm green. Suddenly, the bits of metal surrounding the Core began to gravitate towards it. Had the Core been magnetized? Ivanova wondered. It was a strange sight. As the pieces of metal hit the Core, they, too, began to glow with the same green color. Ivanova stayed silent throughout the whole thing, as if afraid that talking would make the process fail.

Slowly, the light began to dim until it ebbed completely. Where the mass of light had stood, there was now a silver Zoid about the size of a Rev Raptor. It looked a little bit like a Godos, except it had a pair of arms on its back that each held a chainsaw. Immediately, Ivanova the weapons fanatic began to wonder what else she could attach to it.

"What is that?" she asked, unable to hold her curiosity. She'd never seen anything like it.

The scientist jumped, turning towards the two ladies. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

"Professor D, you have a customer," the receptionist said, then turned to leave. "I'll be going now in case another one comes along."

Professor D was a rather young-ish man with wavy, brown hair and a nervous expression. "You're pretty young for a guy who helped defeat both Death Saurers," Ivanova pointed out.

"Oh, that wasn't me," he laughed. "That was my grandfather, Doctor D."

"What does the D stand for?"

"D for don't ask," he laughed again. "Anyway, what can I do for you, miss-?"

"Ivanova," she supplied her surname. She'd always liked it more than Sasha. "I was wondering how much it would cost to make a Rev Raptor."

"Well, first you'll need to provide a core-"

"I'm aware of that, thank you," she cut him off, but tried not to sound rude. "So how much is the service charge?"

"It's twelve thousand Gallos, which is a lot cheaper than the going rate for a complete one, I'm told," Professor D answered. "Although you also need to provide a basic Organoid System, I'm afraid, or I could provide it for an extra three thousand."

"That's a bit steep, isn't it?" Ivanova asked, feeling deflated.

"Sorry," Professor D sounded sincere. "It is worth it, though. The Organoid System allows the Zoid to mature alongside the pilot faster than almost any other Zoid."

"Still, that's like triple my budget," Ivanova frowned, then her gaze fixed on the Zoid behind the glass again. "So what is that Zoid?"

"Oh, that? That's a Spino Sapper," the scientist answered. "It's a support Zoid developed by the Republic."

"Why does a support Zoid come with a pair of chainsaws?"

"It's designed to clear obstacles so that larger Zoids can pass unobstructed," Professor D explained. "They were actually made to escort the Ultrasaurus, but the battle had been won before they could be deployed."

"I can't imagine there are a lot of Sleepers like that one," Ivanova pointed out. It seemed strange to find such a Zoid Core here.

"That's true," he confirmed. "I believe this Core belongs to a lumberjack who's looking to sell the Zoid if you're interested."

"Really now?" Ivanova was intrigued. "How much does it take to make this one?"

"Around five thousand," the Professor answered. "It's honestly a pretty basic Zoid, although the arms make it versatile."

"That's a lot cheaper than the Rev Raptor," Ivanova frowned. She felt a little bit like she was being cheated. It figured her favorite Zoid was going to be overpriced.

"It's not a widely-used military model so the demand for it is low," he explained. Then, his eyes went wide as if he'd just had an epiphany. "You know, there might be a spare Spinosapper core or two in storage."

"Really? How much would one cost me?" she asked. The idea of piloting one was becoming more intriguing by the minute.

"I wouldn't feel right charging for a Core," the scientist said, holding his hands up to tell her to stop thinking that way. "You just tell me when you're good for it and I'll have it prepared for you. I'll hold on to one of them for you."

"Well, I don't have my cash on me right now," she admitted, turning out her pockets. "But what if I come by first thing tomorrow morning?"

"Sounds good to me," he answered, extending his hand. Why were people always trying to shake hands?

She shook his hand anyway, grateful for his offer. "Thanks, Professor. I'm sorry but I'll be going now. Zoid Battles is about to start. I'll see you tomorrow!"

She made her way out of the Institute, getting back her ID. She decided to hail a cab to the arena, realizing it was 4:00 and the grand final was going to start at 5:00. By the time she'd gotten to the arena, it was already jam-packed with people. To her distress, she couldn't quite spot Scooter and Sunny since a sizable portion of the audience wore her school's uniform.

The arena was a massive circular structure made of white marble that was only outsized by the Imperial palace. Despite its low-tech appearance, Ivanova knew that the arena was equipped with some cutting-edge tech to keep the audience safe while the Zoids fought with almost no holds barred. Various Zoids were sculpted into the building's exterior. Most prominently featured was the Blade Liger of the legendary hero, Van Flyheight, although he himself almost never participated in Zoid Battles. Her Pa used to say he lived in the Wind Colony, too, once upon a time, but had since moved to New Helic City, which was a shame. She would've loved to meet him.

When she saw the long line at the ticket booth, she was glad she'd opted to get the season pass months before. She walked right up to the entrance and pressed her pass on the scanner. One beep later and she was past the turnstile. With any luck, she was going to find Scooter and Sunny already inside.

As large as the crowd outside was, the spectators already seated on the arena's bleachers made it look miniscule. How she was supposed to find Scooter and Sunny here, she'd never know. The sheer size of the arena was mind-boggling, claiming the ability to seat a crowd of 150,000. The actual battlefield in the center, of course, was wide enough that anything short of an Ultrasaurus would be able to maneuver effectively. Ivanova followed the long line of fellow viewers who either came early or held a season pass like she did.

There was no sign of Scooter's blond, chubby self or Sunny's tall, lanky frame as the parade of spectators moved to take the remaining free seats. Deciding it was better not to risk getting left with a crappy seat, Ivanova claimed a seat on the left edge of the last row of seats. Not long after settling in, her stomach growled and she suddenly wished she'd bought food before coming up.

"I could really go for a hotdog right now," she groaned to no one in particular.

"Well, I don't have any hotdogs on me, but could I tempt you with some fries?" a voice to her right answered.

Despite herself, Ivanova squeaked in surprise. A small boy, about a head shorter than her occupied the seat immediately to her right. How had she missed him? He wore a blue cap and a gray garb that covered most of his body, but a gloved left hand offered her a box of french fries. She didn't like accepting food from strangers, but she had to admit she was starving.

"Thanks," she said, graciously taking a piece and popping it into her mouth. "I'm Ivanova. What's your name?"

"My name's Danny," he answered, grinning. "This stadium sure is big inside. It's my first time watching."

"No way, really?" she asked, figuring he did look a bit young to be a regular spectator. "I haven't missed a single match this season."

"Really?" the boy asked in response. "You can have more if you want. I just finished a sandwich and I'm kinda full."

"Well, if you're sure," she grinned, taking a few more pieces before he could change his mind. "So who do you think will win?"

"I dunno, I haven't decided," the boy laughed. "Who do you think will win?"

"Well, it's Sand Queen Michelle versus Johnny Predator," Ivanova paused, considering the match-up. "As much as I like Johnny's Dark Spiner, I think Michelle wins this one."

"How do you figure that?" Danny asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"Michelle has better firepower despite having the smaller Zoid," Ivanova told him, glad to have an attentive guy to speak with for once. Scooter wasn't that into Zoid Battles and Sunny always argued against her. "You'll see."

The two of them sat quietly after that, Ivanova grateful he wasn't someone who engaged in small talk. Most people she met had a tendency to ask her where she was from, where she went to school, and other stuff she didn't really feel like talking about. It was like people had a phobia of silence sometimes, not that the arena was ever quiet before a match. After a few more minutes of waiting, the familiar soft whir of the arena's colorless energy shields signalled that the Final was about to begin.

"Those are the arena's energy shields," Ivanova pointed to the barely-noticeable shimmer that now surrounded the battlefield. "Strong enough to withstand any weapon on any Zoid deemed legal to participate."

"Cool," Danny answered, not really sounding impressed. Ivanova huffed. Maybe he wasn't the perfect conversationalist after all.

"Warning!" a recording played on the speakers that dotted the arena. "This area is now a battlefield. Non-combatants are required to stay out of the combat zone. For your safety, do not touch the energy shields now surrounding the combat zone."

Just then, a translucent man as tall as a Gojulas appeared over the combat zone, floating in midair. He wore a black suit that complemented his mane of red hair. His eyes were concealed behind a single black visor.

"Zoid Battle fans, are you ready?" he yelled to the spectators. The crowd responded with enthusiastic cheers and screaming. "The Zoid Battles League would like to thank you all for another successful season!"

"Who's that supposed to be?" Danny whispered to her over the sound of the electrified audience.

"No one knows," Ivanova shrugged. "Or cares. We just call him MC Red."

"It's been a gruelling season, folks, with pilots both new and old making history in this very arena!" MC Red said. Ivanova had to admit he knew his audience well. "Tonight, we not only have our Grand Final to decide the champion of this season, but also one hell of a grudge match!" More cheering ensued.

"Grudge match?" Danny asked as the holographic man continued to fire the crowd up.

"Michelle and Johnny were the final match last season, too," Ivanova answered." Johnny won by the skin of his teeth. They've been rivals ever since."

"Who'd you cheer for last time?"

"Michelle, of course," Ivanova huffed, then jokingly said, "We girls have to stick together."

"But I've kept you waiting long enough," MC Red finally said. "Presenting last season's champion, Johnny Predator!"

A section of the floor opened up, allowing a black Dark Spiner to leap onto the combat zone. The Spiner's cockpit opened up to reveal a boy that couldn't have been older than Ivanova. The boy wore an open black vest that showed he was both incredibly lean and extremely pale. His spiky hair curved downwards, mostly black but with streaks of blue in it. He grinned wildly, doing his stage name justice.

"So that's the Empire's best pilot, eh?" Danny whistled. "He looks younger than me."

"Well, best if you don't count the people who don't fight in Zoid Battles, anyway," Ivanova answered. "Karl Schubaltz could probably beat Johnny with a hand tied behind his back, for example."

"And the challenger, his eternal rival, Sand Queen Michelle!" the crowd's cheering made it clear she had more support than her opponent. Unlike the Spiner, a Zoid that looked like a giant fish burst out of the very soil, soaring a good 15 meters into the air before coming back down, half-submerged in the soft soil. The Warshark opened its cockpit to reveal a beautiful, olive-skinned woman wearing simple gray coveralls. Her dark brown hair reached almost all the way to her waist.

Unlike Johnny, Michelle got both screams of encouragement and yelled declarations of love from the audience.

"Wow, she's hot," Danny commented.

"Yes, she is," Ivanova muttered, then covered her mouth as if she could snatch the words out of the air.

"Hey, nothing wrong with girls liking girls," Danny grinned, making her blush and avoid eye contact.

"Combatants, get ready!" MC Red commanded, urging the two to close their cockpits.

"You can do it, Michelle!" Ivanova yelled, not that she thought the Sand Queen could hear her.

"Combat, start!" MC Red declared before vanishing, allowing the spectators to focus fully on the battle.

The two Zoids wasted no time. The Dark Spiner released a barrage from its four guns, but Michelle's Warshark had buried into the ground the moment the battle had started, evading the damage.

"See? This is why Michelle's the best!" Ivanova said.

"It's impressive, but doesn't the Dark Spiner's Jamming Blade use EMP?" Danny asked. "That should still work even if the target is hiding beneath the surface."

"EMP's illegal in Zoid Battles, though," Ivanova answered with a grin.

"Really? Makes you wonder why he bothers with a Zoid mainly used for jamming systems, then," Danny wondered aloud as the Warshark rose up behind the Spiner and blasted it with its beam guns.

"That's a good question, actually," Ivanova agreed, momentarily distracted from the match. "Maybe he just likes it. Like and Rev Raptors, for example."

"Hey, Raptors are cool, if a bit common," Danny smiled kindly. "Not that I can talk."

"What do you-" Ivanova stopped abruptly as the match heated up.

The Dark Spiner, realizing it was going to lose a war of attrition, prepared to use its spine's Jamming Blade, which was met with boos from the crowd. As the spine began to course with electricity, the Warshark countered by jumping out of the ground with the intent to topple the other Zoid over. However, the Spiner quickly spun on its heel, slamming its tail down hard on the smaller Zoid, smashing one of its exposed twin engines. Then, as quickly as the charge had started building, the black Zoid's spine became dormant once again.

"Wow, that Johnny guy is good," Danny sounded awed. "He baited Michelle into going into close combat."

"I don't understand why she fell for it, though," Ivanova was at a loss. She thought the Warshark had this! "I mean EMP is illegal in the first place."

"It's true she would have won from Johnny being disqualified, but I don't think she wants to look like she got downed by her rival a second time," Danny speculated.

_No way did a kid that young plan that out,_ Ivanova thought. At that very moment, though, the aforementioned kid was using his Spiner's jaws to break the other engine, leaving the Warshark completely incapable of moving through the ground. That was it, then. Just like that, Johnny had won the championship for the second season in a row. No wonder the kid was undefeated.

"I don't believe it, folks!" MC Red's voice blared out as the hologram of the red-haired man appeared over the combat zone again. "That has to be one of the fastest Championship matches I've ever seen. I know I usually say Imperials rely too much on their Zoids, but today's display was a clear, undeniable exception. Welcome your returning Champion, Johnny Predator!"

Despite the earlier cheers for Michelle, the crowd went wild as the Dark Spiner roared, looking pleased with itself. MC Red gestured for silence however, as he made another announcement.

"Tomorrow, to celebrate twenty years of peace between the Republic and the Empire, the Champions of the Republic League and the Empire League will meet here, in this very arena!" the holographic man declared, only increasing the cheers from the crowd. It lifted even Ivanova's spirits, even though she still felt crushed by her favorite pilot's loss. After much more commentary which was met with even more cheering, the event finally ended and the crowd began to disperse.

Naturally, the line going out of the arena was even worse than the line going in. Seeing no reason to get trampled by the mob, Danny and Ivanova stayed seated, waiting for the horde of spectators to thin.

"I wonder what the Republic's Champion is like," Ivanova thought out loud.

"Well, she's female, so you're probably going to root for her," Danny answered, looking thoughtful.

"Do you know what she pilots?" Ivanova asked, suddenly interested.

"Nope," Danny grinned.

"Figures," Ivanova sighed. "Hey, I think we can start walking now."

"Oh, do you really want to get rid of me that quickly?" Danny inquired with mock sorrow, but stood to leave all the same. Then he asked, "What do _you_ think she pilots?"

"I'd guess a Liger of some sort," Ivanova shrugged. All she knew about the Republic's Champion was that she was Van Flyheight's only living offspring, after all.

"Well, I'm sure it's not that," Danny laughed as they walked down to the exit. "Let's try a different question, then. What would you love to see beat that Dark Spiner into mush?"

"Huh," she pondered the question a moment. "Are we talking any Zoid or just Republican Zoids?"

"Common Imperial ones are fair game," Danny answered. "No Death Saurers, Ultrasauruses or Flyers of any kind."

"Gojulas?"

"That's no fun," he whined. "Wouldn't be much of a match."

"Fine. A Molga," Ivanova said with a mocking grin. "I'd like to see someone take down a Dark Spiner with one of those."

"That would be interesting, yeah," Danny nodded.

"I'm joking. There's no way anyone can do that," Ivanova said as they reached the gates, since Danny seemed to think she was serious.

"Oh, really? You wanna bet on that?" Danny asked, wearing an impish grin.

"Deal," Ivanova answered. She wasn't a betting girl, but it wasn't like the Flyheight heir would actually use a Molga tomorrow. "If Johnny wins tomorrow, you are buying me a Rev Raptor." She grinned, knowing her new friend would back out.

Instead, Danny caught her off-guard. "Okay, and if Johnny loses to a Molga," Danny said, grinning back. "You have to go out with me. It's settled!"

Wait. What? Dumbstruck, Ivanova didn't get another word in as Danny waved bye and ran off practically skipping into the night.

_What have I gotten myself into? _She thought quietly, glad that the dim street lamps hid her reddening face.

It took only a short walk for Ivanova to get back home. Of course, home, as long as she was in Guygalos, was the rather shabby apartment building run by Scooter's dad. She unceremoniously opened the front door and walked in, trying her best not to think about her short exchange with Danny. She hated how quickly her heart was racing, particularly because she knew it couldn't have been from exertion.

As she entered the building, Ivanova was so consumed with the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that it took her a while to realize the landlord, Scooter's father, held a curious expression on his face. She'd lived with the family long enough to know the landlord was trying to force a smile even though he was finding it hard to.

"What's the matter, pops?" she asked. He'd treated her like one of his own, after all, even if he was being compensated for letting her stay.

"Oh, Sasha, there you are," the aging man rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "It's nothing to worry about, I'm sure."

"You aren't a very good liar, Pops," Ivanova smiled kindly, to which the landlord laughed.

"It's actually about your rent," he said, looking embarrassed. "I mean, I'm not saying I'll kick you out or anything. Heck, I wouldn't even charge you if your dad didn't insist on it..."

"What exactly is the problem?" she asked, trying to drive the mention of her father out of the conversation.

The man sighed, looking defeated. He'd known her long enough to know she wasn't going to let him keep quiet about it, after all. "Your rent for the past two weeks hasn't come in," he said.

Ivanova tensed. She hoped he wasn't going to ask her to pay. She wouldn't be able to pay for the Spiner Sapper if she had to pay the rent, after all. "I'm a little short on-"

Pops cut her off with a wave of his hand. "No, no, like I said, I wouldn't even mind if you don't pay me at all," he smiled. "It's just that your parents have never been late for a payment, and I'm worried something might have happened."

"Does that mean my allowance hasn't come in, either?" she asked. It seemed selfish, she knew, but no one could blame her for worrying about her own money.

"Nope, sorry, Sasha," the landlord said sadly.

"I see," she nodded, absorbing the implication and not liking it one bit. "Well, if you hear anything from my folks, let me know, alright?"

"Of course," Pops said, giving her that forced smile once again. "Get changed then come back down. Dinner's in ten minutes."

"Alright," she said before turning to climb the stairs, her chest heavy as she wondered if Pops was right.

Author's Note:

Yes, I am still going to write this, mostly because I want to explore the Zoids: CC universe a bit more. Updates are just going to be a bit slow as I'm juggling multiple projects right now. If you have any theories about what's going to happen next, I'd love to hear them, although I kind of already have quite a bit of the foreseeable future planned out.

Notes on the Zoids featured in this chapter:

Warshark/Wardick: I kid you not. This shark-like Zoid is named Wardick in some versions. I believe this Zoid was briefly featured in New Century as one of the Backdraft Group's Zoids. It's essentially a small, highly-maneuverable Zoid with more than decent firepower. It's also one of the few (if not the only) Zoid I know of which invokes the trope Sand is Water, which automatically makes it cool in my book. While not featured in this chapter, one of the Zoid's strongest tools is a sonic weapon which I believe is found in its mouth. While Ivanova makes no mention of it, I'm pretty sure that if the EMP weapon is illegal, a weapon that directly harms the opposing pilot probably is, too.

Dark Spiner: One of my favorite Zoids, even without fusing with the Killer Dome. Heck, especially without fusing with the Killer Dome, since that fused mode sacrifices the Spiner's greatest asset, which is the Jamming Blade attack from its spine. Seriously, why would you sacrifice a weapon that instantly shuts down Zoids even if the Killer Spiner gets stronger firepower as a result?

Spino Sapper: Again, this Zoid was apparently featured in New Century, but I couldn't remember the episode at all. I eventually found and watched it, but found the Zoid's performance in the show rather lacking. I don't believe the Spino Sapper appears at all in either Chaotic Century or Guardian Force, but after reading up on its backstory, which as mentioned above, involves it being used to help the Ultrasaurus navigate rough terrain, I immediately saw potential in adding it into a story that takes place a few years after GF.


End file.
